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Reviews
Cha Cha Real Smooth (2022)
Cooper Raiff
This is a very heartwarming film. Cooper Raiff was very charming as the lead, and he literally carried this whole movie on his back. I was surprised to find out he was the director, producer, and editor in addition to being the lead actor. I also love Dakota Johnson's hot streak of delivering great back to back performances in The Lost Daughter and Cha Cha Real Smooth. This is currently my favorite movie of 2022.
Conversations with Friends (2022)
Bobbi!!
Conversations with Friends is a fine limited series which seeks to ask and answer the question; Can you love more than one person romantically at the same time? The story tries to be vague about it, but eventually lets you know the pretty obvious answer.
The performances are alright with Sasha Lane being the outstanding performer. Even though I've not read the book, I could feel Sasha captured the essence and aura of Bobbi perfectly. Joe Alwyn also delivered a beautiful monologue flawlessly in the penultimate episode, which will probably serve as a gateway for more incoming nuanced roles to uplift his career. The writing for this show had its moments, especially the conversation about patriarchy. I also found some of the clichéd dialogues cute and funny.
Nevertheless, I had two problems with this series;
1. The complete fade out scene transitions was a poor editing choice, because it made me think the episode had ended even though that was not the case
2. I don't understand why the story tried to paint Frances as the villain. I mean apart from Bobbi who was gorgeous and charming in every way, the other three (Nick, Melissa, Frances) were all guilty of at least one thing so why make it seem like Frances was Gus Fring.
Under the Banner of Heaven (2022)
Under the Banner of Boredom
The show is about two detectives undergoing a murder investigation, and the case leads them to discover unthinkable stuff about the family involved. The two detectives are played by Andrew Garfield and Gil Birmingham. Andrew Garfield tried his best to be the anchor of this show, but it felt his heart was not into this project, therefore creating a bit of a disconnect. Also, there was no intersection between the cast and the word chemistry.
The entire series was a shambolic display, which made it very difficult for me to complete. I sought solace from Daisy Edgar-Jones to take me through this show. Oh and Daisy Edgar-Jones! The things I have to sit through for her. First it was Fresh (2022) and now this??? I love to see her work and I hope her next project is an interesting one. Daisy will always be my person because she stole my heart in Normal People.
One positive thing I can say about this show is the subject matter. I like the fact that they shed light on how some religious folks hide behind God and religion to carry out inhumane and abhorrent acts in the name of their doctrines. Religious extremism is very common in my part of the world and I hope measures will be put in place to abolish it completely.
Don't Look Up (2021)
Okay
I was super excited when I saw the star-studded cast for Don't Look Up. It easily became my most anticipated film of 2021, and I couldn't wait to watch it. The last Adam McKay film I watched was The Big Short, and I literally don't remember anything from that movie except Margot Robbie's hilarious scene. I should have had a hint of McKay's inconsistency when it comes to writing jokes. He hits and misses almost in an equal proportion.
After the trailer was released, my excitement reached a new transition state. The trailer was funny, so I went into the movie with high expectations of comedic brilliance, which unfortunately wasn't met. I was just drinking my canned coke as the early parts of the film had a rough patch with xanny. There was a line in the film that goes; "A spoonful of Xanax makes the medicine go down". Now Adam, why is Mary Poppins in this?
Leo had a big scene on the news which reminded me of Peter Finch's character in Network. I felt Adam wanted to sort of make a parody of Network for that scene, which turned out to be just okay.
On the brighter side, Don't Look Up is a neatly edited film with amazing visuals and a great acting ensemble. Cate Blanchett delivered the best performance, and she is the MVP of Don't Look Up. The ending of the movie was very touching, and one thing we can all agree on with a 100% certainty is the inevitability of death.
Don't Look Up served as an outlet for Adam to let us run towards pleasure (experiencing happiness from his satire), and away from pain (the impact of Covid and any other personal battle one may be fighting).
The Lighthouse (2019)
Dark
To begin with, I have to commend Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe on their incredible, mind blowing performances. This film is actually not meant for everyone, and I understand most of the low ratings. The lighthouse is a dark mystery thriller coupled with great acting and cinematography. The first half of the movie run a bit slow, but it was very essential to the story, as it explains most of the DRAMA that happened in the second half of the film, of which I loved every second of it. The score also added more to the suspense, making the entire film a literal perfect package. 2019 was really a great year in film, but I just can't fathom the fact that, awards season snubbed this beautiful picture.
Mad Men (2007)
Not a "page-turner"
Mad Men has amazing writing, incredible acting (I loved Moss and Hamm), and perfect depiction of the 60s, but it's not a "page-turner". Mad Men didn't have the property of turning me into an Oliver Twist. When I started watching this series, I was not contemplating what will happen in the next episode, or looking out for more, because the series lacks that suspenseful twist most drama series have, and I do enjoy suspense, so this made the show uninteresting.
Also, most of the storylines were repetitive, with a lacklustre plot. What is Mad Men about anyway? The life of Don Draper? Advertising? Who knows?
Mad Men is a drab TV series with just a few good episodes.
Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
I'll let you....
Leaving Las Vegas is a brilliant film. Nicolas Cage in the first 10 minutes of the film was just enough evidence that he deserved that Oscar. The chemistry between Nicolas and Elisabeth Shue elevated this film!
Casablanca (1942)
"Round up the usual suspects"
Casablanca is a true masterpiece! I was not captivated as it started, but the moment Ingrid Bergman graced the screen, everything fell into place, and I begun to enjoy every moment of it!
Russian Doll (2019)
Mind-blowing!
Russian Doll is a pretty solid show with nifty writing and an amazing ensemble cast.....Leslie Knope and Nicky Nichols are rare gems
The Social Network (2010)
THIS IS PURE ART
Wow, just wow! I was in complete awe after seeing this film, so I decided to scribble something to honour this beautiful picture! The Social Network is an outstanding film because of its TOP NOTCH SCREENPLAY, brilliant performances by the actors, and a masterclass direction by David Fincher. Usually I don't pay attention to scores when watching a movie, but this film's incredible score was able to grab my attention. The alchemy between Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield was very natural, which was one of the highlights of the film. This film was an emotional rollercoaster of which I enjoyed every bit of it...Thank you David Fincher!!!! THIS IS PURE ART!!!
Midnight in Paris (2011)
Sidney Bechet: Si tu vois ma mère
Midnight in Paris is yet another classic film by Woody Allen. It is a romantic comedy about a couple (Owen Wilson as Gil, and Rachel McAdams as Inez) who go for a family vacation in Paris, and the twist and turns of Gil's subconscious in a fantasy world filled with all his muse as a writer. The screenplay of this movie is top-notch. It was not surprising this film won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
The screenplay solidifies the writing prowess of Woody.
Owen Wilson was perfect for the role with all his poetic "bubbling", and there was such great chemistry between him and Rachel McAdams. The ensemble cast was marvelous, and immensely contributed to the beauty of this film. The score and soundtrack captured the mood and scenes perfectly, producing a positive synergistic effect.
I think this film serves as a tribute to veteran writers like; Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein etc.
Paris as a city is literally everyone's dream city to visit or stay, and Woody does a phenomenal job letting the audience experience midnight in Paris. Midnight in Paris, is not just a great film, but a true masterpiece.